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Everyone can write darbuka rhythms in seconds.

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Darbuka illustration

Rhythm structure

Set the meter and structure of the rhythm piece.

9/8 96 BPM
‖: repeat :‖1.2.

Playback and practice

Listen to written rhythms with authentic darbuka sounds.

LoopOnce

Traditional rhythm notation

A notation system for writing darbuka rhythms.

Darbuka

Score export

Export the written rhythm as a clean score.

Rhythm notation studio

Tap it.
Write it.

Turn the rhythms in your hands into clean, playable scores, free, in your browser.

Document

Composition

From a melody in your mind, to paper

1

Add a rhythm

Use manual stroke entry or choose a traditional rhythm template. Both options help you place rhythm content into your document.

2

Edit the document

Set the measure structure, adjust the rhythm, and see the notation update on the score as you work.

3

Play and download

Listen with darbuka playback, loop difficult parts, then export a clean score for practice or teaching.

1

Add a rhythm

Build a measure manually with Düm and Tek strokes, values, and rests, or load a traditional rhythm from the template library. Both options place rhythm content into the same document, so you can continue editing after adding it.

MaqsumMalfufDüyekAksakCurcuna+25 more
2

Edit the
document

Adjust the measure structure, set the time signature, and build the rhythm piece on the score. As you make changes, the notation updates on the page, so you can see how the full document is coming together.

3

Play and
download

Listen to the rhythm with darbuka sounds, change the tempo, and loop selected parts for practice. When the score is ready, download it as a clean document for teaching, sharing, or personal use.

The library

30 rhythms, ready to play

Practise it against the click

Saidi’s velvele fills the gaps with sixteenths and still lands two Düms back to back in the middle of the bar. Those two, and the sixteenths either side of them, are what slips first when the tempo climbs. Four clicks are enough to catch it.

4/4 Saidi Velvele 2 About the metronome
Rhythm
Click

Accent on beat one Click on every beat

100 BPM

Your rhythm,
on paper.

Open Ritmik It's free

Frequently asked questions

What is a darbuka?

The darbuka is a goblet drum, played on the lap or under the arm. The head gives a deep Düm in the centre and a sharp Tek at the rim, the two strokes almost every Arabic and Turkish rhythm is built from.

How are darbuka rhythms written in Ritmik?

Exactly like the bendir: a staff of two lines, Düm on the lower line, Tek on the upper, rests written as rests. The darbuka has no Ka, so the same two strokes and their articulations carry the whole pattern.

Can I hear the darbuka rhythm I write?

Yes, with recorded darbuka samples. The previews on this site play darbuka patterns faster than the frame drum ones, because that is the pace these rhythms are actually played at, and in the editor you set any tempo from 40 to 200 BPM.

Can I print or share a darbuka score?

Yes. Export a PDF laid out like printed sheet music, or send a link that carries the rhythm inside it. Whoever opens the link needs no account.

Do I need to read music notation to write darbuka rhythms?

No. Tap in Düm, Tek and rests and the notation builds itself. Most players find they can read a pattern back long before they could have written one from scratch.

Which darbuka rhythms can I practise?

The rhythm library covers the standard repertoire: maqsum, baladi, saidi, malfuf, çiftetelli and the aksak usûls, each one playable and editable. Open one, change the meter or tempo, and build from there.

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